Police criticised over time taken to clear man of rape

These are the text messages that finally cleared a man of rape. Picture: The SunSource:The Sun

A HIGH-FLYING bank worker has told how he was left wanting to take his own life after bungling cops took 70 weeks to clear him after a false rape allegation was made by his bitter ex-girlfriend.

Paul Faulkner, from Hertfordshire, England, had everything going for him with a well-paying job earning more than £100,000 ($A179,000) a year at a central London bank when his life was turned upside down, The Sun reports.

His house was raided by four police officers and he was arrested on suspicion of assault, actual bodily harm, sexual assault, coercive control and threats to kill after his bitter ex made a string of false claims.

Paul Faulkner was bombarded with threats when he tried to leave the woman he had met online. Picture: The SunSource:The Sun

Reliving the nightmare he said: “I thought about taking my life, just because it felt easier than coping with it all.

“I had given the police all the evidence, I was not guilty and yet I was treated like a violent criminal who had already been convicted.

“No one was listening. I remember one evening just crying and praying that she’d stab me with a knife in the street. Just so the police would listen to me. I was that desperate.”

The 46-year-old classic car hobbyist met the woman who would make his life hell on match.com in May 2015.

They quickly struck up a serious relationship, however after five weeks Mr Faulkner told her it would be best to end their romance.

Speaking to the Sun Online, Mr Faulkner said: “She was physically abusive and I didn’t feel safe. I tried to get out and she tried everything to get me to stay.”

Throughout this period, Mr Faulkner was attacked by her with a spanner, had a car boot slammed on his back while fetching bags out of her car and even bitten.

The woman attempted to blackmail him for money before the allegations surfaced. Picture: The SunSource:The Sun

After leaving the woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, she began making threats.

In a series of troubling emails and texts she even demanded thousands of pounds.

One text read: “Watch out for the police. Watch out for milner [the name of his car]. Give me my money.”

Another, sent shortly afterwards, said: “I loved something that didn’t exist. Now I will get my revenge. I am going to destroy ypu [sic] as you have destroyed me.”

Later she wrote: “I have taken a week off. I will during that time visit the police and tell them what you have done to me. My final gift to you.”

She added: “You will never get another job again ... you will be well and truly f***ed.”

Cops were sent the texts by Mr Faulkner and told about her demands for cash and various threats just three days after his arrest.

In texts sent before she went to the police, the woman promises to get ‘revenge’ and promises to ‘destroy’ him. Picture: The SunSource:The Sun

These texts were shown to police three days after he was first arrested, however it took them 70 weeks to clear him. Picture: The SunSource:The Sun

He also told officers about suicide attempts she would make when he tried to leave her.

A later allegation of rape was made by the woman against him on the same day Mr Faulkner launched a counter lawsuit regarding a money dispute between the pair.

During this period, a woman claiming to be a friend of his ex called up Mr Faulkner’s boss wrongly claiming he was soon to face trial over a rape allegation.

His work agency stood by him, and his boss at a central London private bank extended his work contract.

Mr Faulkner is told he has two weeks to pay the woman £9500 ($A17,000) in a dispute they were having over his car. Picture: The SunSource:The Sun

She tells him ‘You will never get another job again’ in texts sent to him before she went to the police. Picture: The SunSource:The Sun

However HR workers at the firm then stepped in, claiming he could be a “reputational risk”.

Eventually he lost the job and failed to find other work for another seven months.

As time went on, Mr Faulkner began recording his conversations with police officers.

In one conversation he tells an officer that he’d been on bail and under investigation for more than a year they respond saying: “Oh God.”

He was finally served with a no further action order on December 21, 2017.

The woman has since asked for a case review — further extending Mr Faulkner’s torment.

But he feels that the length of the investigation exposes how genuine victims of rape could also have their torment extended through a lack of action by cops.

He said: “The reason that my story is so scary is: what if I did it? What if I am guilty? Then a victim has had to wait 70 weeks for justice.

“The public have to wait 70 weeks to have a violent rapist locked away.

“So it’s a sad state of affairs either way.”

Hertfordshire Constabulary said in a statement: “Mr Faulkner has made an official complaint to Hertfordshire Constabulary and while this is being reviewed it would be inappropriate to comment any further.”